Travel to Tengendai with ski insurance from Essential Travel

Tengendai ski resort is situated in the south of Yamagata prefecture within easy reach of Tokyo and is a great resort for learners and aspiring skiers and snowboarders. The slopes here are mainly for beginners and intermediates, and there is also a snowboard park with a half-pipe and quarter-pipe.

There is a ski school and ski and snowboard rentals at Tengendai ski resort village, while accommodation is offered at four excellent hotels including the Nishiya Ryokan, a traditional hotel with bathhouse; and the equally impressive Nakaya and Higashiya. Restaurants here serve up traditional Japanese cuisine and Western fare.

There are seven runs at Tengendai ski resort, of which the longest is a whopping 3.7 miles. Two pistes that stand out are the beginner run, which runs from the top right down to the village, and a great intermediate run that starts from below the village and runs to another village. Seven rope and chairlifts provide access over the 2,952-foot vertical and there is a snowboard park with a quarter-pipe and 328-foot half-pipe.

Although Tengendai has a huge vertical, the nearby resort of Zao is one of the best and oldest in the country, offering equally good skiing. Zao ski resort has dozens of slopes suitable for all levels as well as a huge, long piste and some brilliant off-piste terrain. Additionally, Inawashiro ski resort in Fukushima prefecture offers better intermediate slopes than Tengendai and has more in the way of après-ski options.

The ski season at Tengendai ski resort extends from late November to early May and the best snowfalls are in February and March, when prices are at their highest. The cheapest ski lift rates are offered on weekdays, particularly during the weeks at the beginning and the end of the season. Taking a high-speed train to Yonezawa from Tokyo and then a bus to the resort is a convenient and relatively inexpensive way to get here.

Skiing in Tengendai

Within reach of Tokyo, Tengendai ski resort is a good ski destination for learners, with its range of easy pistes. The resort also appeals to daring snowboarders, due to the range of off-piste and snowboard park and pipes.

The seven slopes at Tengendai ski resort are divided into beginner and intermediate runs, with 65 per cent to 35 per cent for each level respectively. The longest of these runs is a commendable 3.7 miles. There is a massive vertical of nearly 3,000 feet at Tengendai and slopes are fed by a system of seven chair and rope lifts.

Tengendai ski resort does not offer much in the way of alternative winter activities apart from the snowpark, with its 328-foot half-pipe and a quarter-pipe, yet there is a stretch of terrain suitable for cross-country skiing that is worth checking out. You can find saunas and minimal après-ski at the resort’s hotels.

Essential ski and snowboard facilities at Tengendai ski resort include a ski school and rentals for both sports, while the Nishiya Ryokan, Nakaya and Higashiya are among Tengendai’s lodging options. Rooms are fairly reasonable and the hotels offer comfort and great facilities.

The November to May ski season at Tengendai ski resort sees its best snow conditions between January and March, and cheaper rates are available during the week and outside of these dates. A practical travel option for getting here is to take the Shinkansen train from Tokyo to Yonezawa, from where buses run to Tengendai.

Transportation to Tengendai

Tengendai ski resort is situated about 250 miles north of Tokyo in the south of Yamagata prefecture and is directly accessible by road only. There are two options for getting here: driving via the Tohoku expressway or taking a train/bus combination transfer via Yonezawa.

If you are driving from Tokyo, take the Tohoku expressway to Fukushima, from where highway 13 goes to Yonezawa. Tengendai ski resort is an additional 40-minute drive from Yonezawa.

By train, the Yamagata-Shinkansen (bullet train) runs to Yonezawa frequently from Tokyo and takes about 2 hours. Buses meet the incoming trains at Yonezawa Station for the 1-hour transfer to Tengendai ski resort.

Tokyo’s Narita International Airport is the main point of entry to Japan and the most convenient of Japan’s airports to fly to with respect to flight frequency options from overseas and transfers. Regular express trains run from the airport to Tokyo throughout the day, from where the Yamagata-Shinkansen service runs to Yonezawa.

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